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When you get to camp, the deck and aluminum extension bars turn into a large table for cooking and food prep. The Wingman turns a canoe into a really stable mother ship, capable of carrying fresh food and cold drinks, and accommodating large dogs or standing anglers. Who really wants the raft and all the fussiness it calls for anyway?

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Jackson Kayak Tip of the Week By Zofia Tula Flatwater paddling allows us to focus on the small things, which in turn improves our freestyle kayaking. I think this is especially true for women who have a harder time covering up improper technique with strength. And all paddlers can benefit from learning symmetry and proper

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By Sam Boykin While visiting Charlotte, N.C., this summer, 18-year-old Lauren Seitz, along with several other members of the Westerville, Ohio, church choir, decided to check out the U.S. National Whitewater Center (USNWC). The sprawling outdoor sports complex has mountain bike trails, rock climbing walls and ziplines. But the main attraction is the Class IV

Daddy’s Creek Race

Tennessee paddlers hold a grassroots race to celebrate their local rivers.

For most paddlers, the creek racing world of whitewater kayaking is pretty epic. The world’s top boaters compete down steep V+ Chilean gorges in the Whitewater Grand Prix and gnarly Homestake Creek at the Teva Mountain Games. Yet last Saturday, a small spotlight of whitewater racing shown on a group of 10 kayakers as they paddled in the second annual Daddy’s Creek Race. The Daddy’s Creek Race was both a celebration of the Obed river system in Middle Tennessee and also a way for all local paddlers to partake in a grassroots race.

“We had this race to recognize how many amazing rivers the Obed holds,” Karl Whipp, organizer for the race, said. “We also wanted something that the majority of skill levels could enjoy whether it’s spectating, running safety or competing.” According to Whipp, the Obed boasts every style of creeking from small creeks like Island and Little Clear Creek to cliff-lined canyons such as Daddy’s and Clear Creeks to waterfall creeks like Crooked Fork to long wilderness stretches like the Upper Obed and Upper Clear Creek.

The weather behaved nicely for the race with water levels at a near perfect 1.8′ and temperatures steady at 50+ degrees with cloudless, blue skies About eight folks set safety and another 10 spectators paddled down the river to watch the race. There were no swimmers this year. Following the race was a river-wide cleanup where most people gathered a bag full of trash. Whipp said, “We wanted to give back to Daddy’s Creek and the local community.”

The Daddy’s Creek Race represents just one of the many grassroots races that local paddlers put on for their boating community throughout the United States.
Stay tuned to Canoe & Kayak Magazine as we feature more of these events throughout the year.